Misconceptions are everywhere. It’s easy to see one thing and assume something that just isn’t true. Certain people or products usually come with a certain stigma that may or may not be true. It’s easy to see an off-brand product and think it isn’t as good as the name brand item. It’s easy to hear something terrible and assume the worst for everything associated with that situation.
The list could go on and on.
Vehicles come with misconceptions as well. And, it isn’t just about the type of vehicle, though that may be part of it. There is a lot more to cars and trucks that people don’t see at face value. Perhaps they’ve heard so much from other people, their views become those of themselves.
To put some of those misconceptions to bed, here are a few of the most common ones and why they just aren’t true:
Red Cars:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Everybody knows that red cars cost more to insure and get some extra scrutiny from the police. Everybody is wrong…
There isn’t any conclusive data to back up the idea that red cars get pulled over more than any other color car. While red is a bright and striking color, if you are a careful driver, you won’t get pulled over, no matter what color your car is.
As for the car insurance myth… the only time they need the color of the vehicle is when they give you your current insurance card information to identify your vehicle as yours. Next time your red vehicle gets damaged, check and see where they ask if your car is red or not on the insurance claim. Spoiler alert: they don’t.
ABS decreases stopping distances:
ABS, as we’ve discussed, stands for “Anti-Lock Brakes.” The purpose of ABS is control rather than distance. ABS certainly can decrease your stopping distance, especially if you lock up the brakes on a vehicle without ABS.
As long as your vehicle’s brakes don’t skid, you can stop in the same distance with or without ABS.
Highly rated cars with multiple awards are always the best:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
There’s an award for everything vehicle today. J.D. Power, KBB, Motor Trend, and Consumer Reports are all in the vehicle awards game. Each has their own criteria and their own award categories. Manufacturers love that. It may not mean too much, but it’s something, so they run with what they have.
The truth is that an award can’t truly be given until a vehicle is tested. Motor Trend’s Car of the Year award is given after several tests are performed on several selected vehicles.
Consumer Reports gives their ratings based on current vs. future technology. If a vehicle uses the same engine as the previous year, and the previous year’s engine is very reliable, chances are that this coming year’s engine will be reliable as it has remained unchanged. Their ratings and rewards are based on last year’s testing and this year’s predicted reliability.
GM is famous for touting their awards on each commercial they do. It does look good that each vehicle was given something for their performance, but if you look at the data, not all GM cars, trucks, and SUVs hold true to the awards that they’ve been given.
The best vehicles are most likely going to be the “broken in” models. Cars and trucks usually go about 3-5 years between receiving a refresh or redesign. The best vehicles are going to be the ones that haven’t been redesigned recently. This gives manufacturers time to update any outstanding issues or problems with each product. The longer something has been in the market, it’s usually going to be better.
You have to warm up your car before driving it:
Photo: Courtesy of Cars and Diamonds
Many practices of yesteryear have been abandoned today because of advancing technology and the changing world. One of those long-held practices that doesn’t hold true anymore is warming up your car when it’s cold.
It’s great to jump into a warm vehicle when it’s cold in the morning. Doing that also wastes gas as the computer in your vehicle compensates for the cold temperatures by injecting more of it into the cylinders. All it takes is a few seconds for the engine oil to get circulating, and you’re good to go.
Modern engines have come a long way from what they were. While you never want to go “full throttle” until the correct engine temperature has been reached, the car will warm up faster as you drive to work, even if it’s frigid outside.
An all-wheel-drive or four-wheel drive car allows you to drive faster in snow:
Photo: Courtesy of Four Wheeler Network
I’m sure you’ve seen this before. There’s a snowstorm and you have to go somewhere at the last minute. The roads are starting to get snow-covered, and most people are driving about 10 or 20 miles an hour under the speed limit… except for the pickup truck that has just passed you at 60 miles per hour.
The fact is that when the road is slippery, it’s slippery for everyone. All-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles may assist with initial forward movement, and it may even help you get unstuck should you become stuck in the first place.
Something that any-wheel drive can’t do is gain traction on ice or while moving at high speeds.
All-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles provide more stability during inclement weather, but increased speed means decreased traction in any vehicle.
All sports cars are impractical, expensive, and nothing more than toys:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Most sports cars are impractical, some are expensive, and no vehicle is truly a toy.
You may have just laughed at what I just said, but it’s a more accurate representation of what a sports car really is. A true sports car is a small, two-door vehicle, designed specifically with some level of a performance advantage over other vehicles.
Any two door vehicle is going to lose some kind of practicality to one with four doors. Even a two door pickup with only two or three seats can be just as impractical at times.
Sports cars also come with the stigma of being expensive. This certainly can be the case, but many sports cars really aren’t that much different than any other new or used car. In fact, most SUVs and trucks today are far more expensive to buy, maintain, and insure than many affordable sports cars.
Even though sports cars are also seen as toys, no vehicle is really a toy. As much as somebody can have fun while driving, all vehicles come with some kind of safety risk involved. Because of their performance capabilities, most sports cars need to be driven with a little extra caution than your normal family car.
People that drive sports cars are careless, unsafe drivers:
The few people who drive sports cars recklessly have given them a bad reputation. I would argue that people who can buy and drive a sports car or performance car are actually safer drivers than those who don’t… for the most part.
It’s as simple as this: Sports cars aren’t for everyone. Most likely, those who buy sports cars have some kind of passion for the car as there is always a more practical one out there to buy. In other words, those buyers specifically want a sports car in order to drive. If that’s the case, the average sports car buyer is going to care more about the car they buy and care more about driving in general.
Most people who don’t care about something aren’t going to be as likely to pay attention to whatever they don’t care about. I’m not a movie person. I don’t care about the latest movies coming to the theater this week, so I never know what’s there. The same can be said of cars.
The attitude and mindset of a car person is going to be much more focused on both the car, driving it, and enjoying it. Of course, that isn’t universal, which is why this misconception even exists in the first place. That focus is going to result in a better overall driver.
All luxury cars are expensive:
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
If you’ve ever dreamed about owning a Mercedes, BMW, or Jaguar, fear not! You might not think you could ever get one, but in reality, you probably can.
Here’s how it works… As soon as you buy a new vehicle, it loses value. New vehicles lose value quicker than used ones. Depreciation varies by make, model, and vehicle type, and generally has to do with supply and demand, desirability, and brand perception.
The good news for you, is that the brands like BMW, Mercedes, and Jaguar, cater to a clientele that either buys or leases for just a few years before getting another brand new vehicle of the same type. That means demand for used vehicles like this isn’t as high as some other vehicles.
Another factor here is reliability. Luxury vehicles may or may not be just as reliable as the next car on the lot, but because luxury vehicles are packed with additional features and extra options, if they break, it can cost much more to repair than other vehicles.
It’s not unheard of to see a $100,000 BMW from five years ago, be offered to you for about $15,000. That could be the bargain of the century. Like always, just make sure to have everything checked before you buy cars like that. If it checks out, you will have fulfilled your dreams.
More horsepower = More fun:
Photo: Courtesy of Motoring Research
Even if you’ve never owned or wanted a high-horsepower car like a Corvette, you might assume that all that horsepower could be put to quite good use in the fun department. That could be true every once in a while, but this is a classic example of driving a fast car slow versus driving a slow car fast.
650 horsepower is not a small amount. The Corvette Z06 has 650 horsepower, and it’s so easy to get up to speed. The problem is that when you do get up to speed, it doesn’t feel like you’re going nearly as fast as you think you are.
Now, look at a Honda Civic. It has a fairly average 174 horsepower. When you get the need for speed, you can floor it, and the car is going to have to work harder than the Corvette to go faster. It isn’t designed for performance like the Corvette.
Yet, that extra effort by the Civic will probably put a big smile on your face. Not that the Corvette won’t, but it’s almost too easy, under normal driving conditions, to get the Corvette to perform like it was meant to. On top of that, nobody will ever be able to unlock its full performance potential on any regular road.
It’s not that performance vehicles aren’t fun. They are just bound by more limiting factors under everyday conditions. I’m a firm believer that driving a slow car fast is much more fun than driving a fast car slow, unless you can take your fast car to the track every once in a while.
You don’t need winter tires during the winter:
Photo: Courtesy of Travelers Insurance
Winter tires are specifically designed to provide better traction during the winter. Most people probably don’t have two sets of tires available to switch out in the winter, but it is beneficial.
So, do you really need winter tires? Well, yes and no. Everybody should have them because they make a vehicle just a little safer. Most people don’t have them, because tires are expensive. They are needed for better winter safety.
Lights are just there to help you see at night:
Headlights are just as much a safety feature in broad daylight as they help you see at night. They increase a vehicle’s visibility more than you might think.
Have you ever pulled up to an intersection, checked both ways about four times, and then see a black vehicle come out of nowhere? Even after you looked both directions multiple times, they can be easy to miss. Black vehicles blend in with the shadows cast by the sun.
It’s much more likely that you can avoid this situation if the other driver would have his or her lights on. Studies prove that accidents decrease with the use of daytime running lights. This is because they increase visibility, and they aren’t as bright as headlights.
If headlights are brighter than daytime running lights, wouldn’t that be even better? I’ve been driving with my headlights on for years now, and I’m glad that I do it.
Parking lights provide sufficient light until it gets dark:
Part of the reason daytime running lights exist is because parking lights are not sufficient for visibility at dusk and in poor weather conditions. Many states have laws that require full headlights when the windshield wipers are in use, and yet, people still don’t use them.
Parking lights don’t even do as much as daytime running lights when it comes to preventing accidents.
The same thing goes for parking lights as it does for daytime running lights, just with a little more emphasis. Parking lights hardly aid in visibility at all, especially at dusk. They certainly don’t help in bad weather conditions. Use your headlights.
Safety systems make a car safer:
We’ve talked about this before, and if you want to see where, just click here. Safety systems are designed to make a vehicle safer, but there’s a giant caveat to that statement. Safety systems make a car safer if you work with them rather than letting them work for you.
Everybody says that self-driving vehicles are just around the corner. Indeed, the technology is getting closer, and there are always tests going on with autonomous vehicles somewhere. The fact is that you aren’t testing, nor do you have an autonomous vehicle.
That means you still have to drive your vehicle and use whatever equipment is available to you. You still have to monitor those systems and use them to enhance your own awareness rather than let them run your entire commute.
As great as backup cameras, lane keep assist, and brake assist are, they are useless if you aren’t aware of your surroundings. Be safe! Be aware!
Misconceptions, presuppositions, and assumptions are a mainstay of everyday life. They give is misinformation and show us things that aren’t there. They can be misleading. Only you have the ability to think otherwise.
Hopefully we’ve helped you with that this week. We can’t change your opinions, but we can present you with facts.
Let us know what you’ve heard that may or may not be true. Let us know what we missed and if you have questions about anything we’ve covered.
